News today that the Miami Dolphins have swapped picks with the New York Giants to acquire tight end Darren Waller was somewhat of a surprise, but coupled with the sendoff of Jonnu Smith, the move makes sense on a few different levels.

On Monday, the Dolphins moved CB Jalen Ramsey and the move to add tight end Jonnu Smith to the deal raised some eyebrows amongst Dolphins followers, with many looking immediately for who can replace the Pro Bowl alternate’s level of play that he provided at the position in 2024.

A LOOK AT WHAT WALLER BRINGS

On the positive side, the addition of Waller could end up giving Miami some of what it got in Smith, as well as some of what it didn’t.

Waller has history of being a fantastic receiving tight end, posting 1,100+ yard seasons in 2019 and 2020 for the Raiders while proving to be very difficult to cover due to his size. If he can return to somewhere even close to that form, he will give the Dolphins some of Smith’s game and then some – Waller at 6-6, 240 will also offer the red zone target Miami lacked last season.

The negative with Waller is obvious and probably why Miami fans should not be waiting with baited breath for a 1,000-yard season. Sadly, Waller has dealt with some mental health and substance abuse issues, last summer infamously dealing with a divorce from his wife, superstar hoopster Kelsey Plum, with much of the event playing out over social media in April of 2024. At times, it made Waller seem a bit confused for his part in it.

Waller announced his retirement from football in June 2024.

He played last in 2023, notching 52 receptions for 552 yards and 1 TD for the Giants. He was not nearly the weapon he had been with the Raiders, but the 12 games he appeared in were his most since 2020.

FAMILIARITY LED TO WALLER NFL RETURN

Briefly, Waller is coming back out of retirement to join the Dolphins, and it sound like familiarity with Dolphins’ offensive coordinator Frank Smith had something to do with it.

Smith was Waller’s tight ends coach in his two most successful seasons. And Waller detailed in an offseason video that it would take either Jon Gruden – his former head coach and host of the interview – or Frank Smith to get him to unretire.

ONE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE FROM JONNU

Though not typically noted as a blocker, Waller is actually solid and has often lined up at the inline Y tight end spot. He has even been tasked with blocking defensive ends one-on-one.

In this breakdown by coach Casey Sully in 2020, you can see that Waller could offer some of what Miami is looking for out of a tight end – the ability to give a look that doesn’t immediately elicit Cover 2 with safeties playing deep and corners playing off the line of scrimmage.

Not tipping your hand on a play is key in outside zone given that the offensive line’s first look is to always show run. Having a tight end like Smith line up either inline or in the slot did/does nothing to aid in confusing a defense or drawing in safeties.

OFFSEASON MOVES ALL POINT TOWARD CHANGE

The addition of Waller doesn’t exactly move the team in the physical direction it has been taking, but the blocking ability doesn’t totally ignore it either.

Waller joins a tight end group of Julian Hill, Pharoah Brown, Tanner Conner, Jaylin Conyers and Hayden Rucci. Of that group, Waller is the least one-dimensional with Hill and Brown excelling primarily in blocking, with Conner and Conyers filling more of the slot tight end-type role.

If fans want to look for a straight Smith replacement, that possibility is Conner but going into detail on that is pointless until Conner puts together meaningful on the field. Entering his fourth year there has always been hope that he would add something to the pass game, ultimately for it all to fall apart each season for various reasons. To count on him now would be irresponsible, though his growth into a real threat would be a help.

Either way, the Dolphins overall are going to continue the trend toward physicality, and one has to expect that to be the case from the tight end group, whether Waller is the final piece added or not. Should there be another addition, one would assume Miami will be looking for an even more complete piece featuring receiving and blocking, not one or the other.

“You try to make sure that physicality is at the forefront of how you approach things,” McDaniel said at he and Chris Grier’s postseason press conference. “Then with all the problem-solving you do each offseason, you are able to focus on particular things more because of the assets you have built. That changes the focus every year of where your focus can be. It’s easy and appropriate to say that our physicality has been short-changed in short-yardage situations.”

McDaniel continued that a team can never get enough when it comes to being physical.

“You can’t ever say you’re ‘good’ (in terms of physicality),” added McDaniel. “How are you going to dictate the terms? If you’re 8-9, then you didn’t dictate the terms well enough.”  

TEAMS WERE GIVING DOLPHINS DIFFERENT LOOKS IN ‘24

Coming off of a 2023 season that saw Miami as the only team in the NFL to finish the season averaging over 400 yards of offense per game (401.3) and tied for the most touchdowns scored in the league (61), opponents were going to do something different out of necessity.

They did, and unfortunately, it was effective.

“All defenders were deeper, wider and there were probably two safeties standing deep pre-snap, where they were vulnerable in year’s previous,” said McDaniel. “In the system, you have to make people pay for what they are taking away and once you make people pay, then it opens it back up for those short drives that we all love, with those explosive plays.”

This leans heavy into tight end play. Running out a tight end who can both catch and block will pull defenders and safeties in, which will hopefully rekindle the effectiveness of Miami’s top two receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle.

“I don’t think it’s effective offense to throw where the defense is,” said McDaniel. “We need to compliment each other so there is no one asset that people can double cover. You have to make people pay in other places.”

Quick scores will not help the Dolphins case. They must first learn to sustain a drive. It seems almost backward but getting the defense to think less about your big play capabilities is what will ultimately lead to the return of them.

“Once you prove that you can march down the field and beat very preventative, cautious defenses (where) you have time of possession and score a touchdown,” said McDaniel, “they will try to get you off the field in different ways and that’s the way to open up the full utility belt on offense.”

IN SEARCH OF A TRUE Y TIGHT END

Since his arrival in Miami, McDaniel has made it clear the type of tight end he desires. In addition, it’s been well known – though maybe the knife’s edge has dulled with time on the story – that this type of offense is looking for a tight end who can block first, but ideally is multidimensional.

The first inkling came when the team was being pushed to re-sign TE Mike Gesicki in McDaniel’s first season, a player whose specialty was receiving, but in a distinctive way. Gesicki plays above people and uses it well to his advantage as a receiver. When he comes down, however, the play is usually over. He rarely breaks tackles or shows physicality.

Gesicki was given a one-year, $10 million under the franchise tag prior to his final year in Miami but the Dolphins did not use him as a franchise-type player at all.

Coming off of a 2021 season that saw him eclipse 70 receptions and 700 yards, Gesicki started just one game under McDaniel in 2022 and finished with 32 receptions for 362 yards and five TDs. Durham Smythe logged the majority of the team’s snaps despite Gesicki’s frustration and in doing so, the tone had been set for the position – contribute as a blocker or find somewhere else to play.  

WALLER NO GUARANTEE

Given his situation of a year ago, it’s probably best not to count too much on Waller, now 33. If he can return to form AND be effective as a blocker, the Dolphins may have landed another steal.

But Waller will be entering his ninth NFL season, has had issues in the past and did choose to retire in June of 2024 after spending 2023 with the Giants.

Miami can count on seeing Julian Hill take a ton of snaps. Despite his struggles last year with penalties and in the receiving game, Hill is an elite blocker and one of the nastiest run blockers on the team, regardless of position. His contributions are often overlooked.

Hill coming in with more of a receiving game would be ideal. No team will view him as a true threat outside of the run game, which is exactly what would work best should he have the ability to be more of an issue for defenses in the pass game.

Either way, look for Miami to continue doing what it had begun in its offseason and through the draft – up the physicality game and look for opponents to struggle in figuring out what they want to defend as opposed to making it so obvious.